


Favorite Place

by sashavelou



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, Smut, its mostly fluff but starts very angsty!!, tw: description of panic attacks, tw: mention of abusive relationsips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:08:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24281068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sashavelou/pseuds/sashavelou
Summary: Crystal works at a French literature book store, and can't help but fall for the pretty girl that comes in-also known as a cheesy bookstore au :)
Relationships: Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd, crygi - Relationship
Comments: 19
Kudos: 132





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! i got a request on my tumblr @trixemattel to write a book store au with crygi and what was going to be just a short oneshot became what i plan to be a multiple chapter fic that i love :) i hope you enjoy & check out my tumblr to request more writing! also thank you so much to @artificial-jazz for editing this fic!! check out her tumblr & her writing!!!!

Crystal always dreamed of working at a bookstore. As a kid, she used to save her allowance and go every week to her local book shop in Missouri for a new Star Wars book. Back then, they were only $5 and her only hardship was finding the loose change to pay the taxes. 

Over the course of an entire summer that bled into fall, she read every adult Star Wars post-ROTJ book in print until she finally caught up. The store always had the science fiction section right up front and after that, she would march right up to the bays, pluck the latest installment on the day of its release, and make her purchase.

It was a huge store to her then, with two entrances and a long aisle down the middle separating towering shelves of books. Some of the smaller aisles snaked around corners or opened into new clearings of sections she hadn't noticed before.

As Crystal got older, she was surprised when the manager actually hired her. She stayed there a few years until the store was forced to close. Of course she was devastated—this store had been a huge part of her life for so long, it felt like she was losing a friend. She kept the science fiction section clean and organized, taking particular care with the Star Wars books, until the day they had to pack everything up and move out.

Years later, she now found herself the manager of the book store Albertine in New York. The store was incredible: It was the only bookstore in the city devoted solely to books in French and English. The owner, Nicky, had the store stocked with more than 14,000 contemporary and classic titles from 30 French-speaking countries. Albertine was her pride and joy, and Crystal just felt lucky enough to make a living by selling books.

The days were fun filled with locals and tourists coming into the shop amazed by the gorgeous interior. They especially loved the hand-painted mural of constellations, stars, and planets. Crystal often found herself getting lost staring at that ceiling, spending her days recommending French novels to her customers and on her down time getting to read whatever she could get her hands on in her down-time.

Today was no different. A few customers had come in, but most of them just glanced around the store, leaving Crystal to read to herself at the counter. 

When she heard the bell at the door chime, she didn’t even bother looking up. Over the pages of her book, she yelled: “Welcome to Albertines, if you need any help, let me know!”

“Actually, I do,” she heard a female voice say. She looked up from her book to see a tall girl leaning over the counter, tapping her long nails against it. Her long curly hair just touched the surface as she peered over at Crystal. “If you’re not too busy,” she added with a smile.

Crystal gulped. This girl was stunning, with piercing blue eyes that were currently glancing down at her. She was wearing a long coat over a plaid dress, and Crystal assumed she must have been wearing heels because she seemed to tower over her. 

Crystal tried to stand up and stumbled over her words. “Yes, of course!” She gulped. “What can I help you with?”

The girl giggled at Crystal’s clumsiness. “I’m trying to find a gift for my boyfriend. He always talks about how much he loves France and I thought I would check it out here. You guys specialize in French literature, right?”

Ouch. There goes any shot of that, Crystal thought. Why would anyone this stunning be single? Or even not straight! But, she smiled and replied, “Yeah, we do. We can find him something!” 

“Do you know what genre he would like?” Crystal asked as she led the girl throughout the store.

“In all honesty, no,” she laughed. “I can't even speak a word of French!” She extended her hand to feel the edges of the books as they passed by. 

“Here,” Crystal offered, picking up a book off a display case “This one is my favorite.” 

The girl took it from Crystal’s hands and examined the cover. “How do you pronounce it?” 

Crystal looked down at the cover and laughed; it was quite simple. “Madame Bovary.” She looked up at the girl. “It’s about a bored housewife named Emma Bovary as she laments her position as a doctor’s wife. She rejects her loving husband, and embarks on a number of unsuccessful affairs and drowns her sorrow in debt. Over time, she becomes increasingly dissatisfied with this though.”

“Sounds like me,” the girl mumbled under her breath as she brushed her fingers across the cover.

Crystal laughed to herself and continued. “The book looks at the effects of the rise of a bourgeois culture, showing a time when people who were capable of providing a good income for themselves became focused on their social image. It’s really quite good.”

“It sounds interesting. Maybe I’ll have to learn French and read it myself.” She locked eyes with Crystal. “Thank you!” 

“Oh, it’s no problem—it’s my job,” Crystal beamed. “I hope your boyfriend likes it.” 

“I hope he does too,” the girl sighed. “He’s a bit mad at me right now, and I’m hoping this will help him forgive me.”

Crystal didn’t know what to say, not great at comforting strangers. 

“I don’t even know why I’m telling you this,” the girl disclosed. 

“Well, why is he mad? If you don't mind me asking,” Crystal questioned. She knew she shouldn't pry, but this girl was basically begging for someone to ask if she was okay. 

The girl gave Crystal a look, but didn’t object. “I always see him texting someone else, and he always is so secretive with me. So, I thought he was cheating on me. I confronted him about it and he was so mad he...” She trailed off. “I just don't want him to be mad at me anymore, you know?”

Crystal knew exactly what this girl was talking about. She wanted to tell her to get out of the relationship, save herself. Crystal herself had been in an abusive relationship before, and just wished someone would have told her everything would be okay. She wanted to wrap this girl up and give her a hug, keep her safe in this book store. 

“I understand,” Crystal said, not sure how to make her feel better. “I’m sure he’ll love this. You seem like an amazing girlfriend.”

“Thank you,” the girl laughed and wiped a small tear that began to fall from her eye. “I’m sorry, I’m giving you my whole life story and you don’t even know my name. I’m Gigi!” She extended her hand for Crystal to shake.

“I’m Crystal!” she beamed, accepting the hand graciously. She held onto Gigi's hand as she spoke. “If you ever feel unsafe, though, don’t hesitate to come here. I can help you.” It was sincere. She wanted Gigi to feel safe. 

Gigi just nodded. “Better check this out now,” she suggested. 

“Don't bother,” Crystal started. “It's on me.” 

Gigi just stared at her, wide-eyed. “Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.”

“Just think of the pretty girl from the French bookstore when you get around to reading it,” Crystal remarked, flashing Gigi a big smile.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal is trying to close up the shop for the night, but someone is trying to get into the store. Who the fuck tries to get into a bookstore at 9pm at night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys its lily! thank you so much for the love on the first chapter :) thank you so much jazz for editing as per usual! trigger warning for panic attacks / mention of abusive relationships for this chapter! its just a bunch of angst i'm sorry... not really though :)
> 
> make sure to check out my tumblr @trixemattel to request writing or to just say hi :)

“Hey Crystal,” Nicky called across the bookstore. Crystal looked up from her book to see her boss staring at her. 

“Yes?” Crystal yelled back, hoping she wasn’t in trouble for seeming to only ever be reading at work. 

“Do you mind staying an extra hour tonight and closing up the store for me?” she asked. Crystal really didn’t want to, but extra money was always good, and she knew Nicky would be thankful. Plus, she would get an extra hour of reading in.

“Yeah, that's fine. I can stay,” Crystal responded. 

-

Around 9pm Nicky headed out for the night, thanking Crystal again for closing up. 

Crystal had not done much besides read, and it seemed there were no customers left in the shop, so she got on with cleaning. She put away the books that people had moved around throughout the day and left discarded in the wrong spot. Nicky had a particular way of organizing so Crystal had to make sure everything was in the right place.

As she was finishing up, multiple rushed knocks came from the front of the store. Crystal began to panic; who in the hell would be trying to get into a bookstore past 9pm? She had never dealt with an intruder before. Did she call the police? Did she hide?

Over the sound of the knocks she heard a panicked female voice yell, “Hello, is there anyone in there?” The voice sounded distressed and familiar to Crystal. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew she had to help. She rushed up to the door, and saw a worrisome Gigi peering through the glass. She stepped back as Crystal unlocked the door, opening it softly. 

Gigi rushed in, tears rushing down her face. She paced around the room, fingers grabbing her own hair and pulling on it, small strands coming out. Her breaths were staggered and she coughed as she continued to cry. Crystal could see her hands were shaking. 

Gigi mumbled, “I had to get away. I couldn’t stay near that damned house any longer. I couldn’t look at it. There was too much of a risk of someone walking out of it and trying to talk me out of my decision. I was stranded. Drive, and I could cause an accident. Not drive, and I was still too close to what had happened.” Her words were rushed and staggered, not making much sense.

She didn’t even register Crystal as she continued. “I clutched the steering wheel, my hands wrapped so tightly around it that my nails dug into my palms.” She glanced down at her hands, which still had marks from where she had gripped them. Breathing was hard. Really hard. She cried harder, her chest growing tight as bile rose in her throat. She felt the blood pounding in her ears.

“What are you talking about? What happened?” Crystal didn’t know what to do. The girl was clearly having a panic attack. Crystal didn't want to get too close, didn’t know how she would react.

“I ruined everything! I fucking always ruin everything!” She collapsed to the ground in defeat. “Of course this fucking happened to me! I shouldn't be surprised ‘cause god, I deserve it!” she shrieked as she clenched her fists, forcing her eyes shut.

“Gigi,” Crystal spoke as she got on the ground facing the girl, “Gigi! You need to calm down.”

“Don't tell me to calm down!” Gigi snapped. “You don't get it!” Too tired to fight more, she collapsed into Crystal's lap, tears still falling from her eyes.

“He fucking cheated on me,” she mumbled amongst the cries. 

“Oh my god,” Crystal uttered. “Hey, this is not your fault. This is his fault, not yours.” She tried to assure Gigi, but she just shook her head.

“I went to his apartment to give him the fucking book to apologize for ever thinking he would cheat on me, but when I walked in, he was with another fucking woman. God, she even looked like me. He didn't even see me, his tongue was so far down her throat to notice.” 

Crystal just rubbed her head, brushing her fingers through the blonde locks, detangling it carefully. “He’s a bastard to ever do something like this. None of this is your fault. You were being a supportive girlfriend, and you don't deserve this,” Crystal assured her. 

“I just can't believe he would do this,” Gigi weaped. She layed in Crystal's lap for a while in silence, the only noise being an occasional sniffle from Gigi as she tried to settle her breathing. It felt like they had been sitting there for hours when Gigi finally pushed herself up.

“I need to speak to him. I didn't even break up with him, I just left.” Crystal could sense the wheels turning in Gigi’s head as she continued to speak. “Oh my god, all my stuff is there. I was living there, I can't go back, not tonight.” The panic in her voice started to come back. 

“Hey, don't worry, you don't have to go back,” Crystal said. “If you want, you can crash at my apartment tonight.” It's not like Gigi seemed to have any other option.

“Really? I don’t want to impose, but that would be great.” Her words were sincere. She looked like she was minutes away from passing out so Crystal quickly finished closing down the shop. She locked the register and switched off the lights as she led Gigi out the door. 

-

When the pair got to Crystal's house, they were greeted by her bookshelves, beloved and beautiful. Crystal looked around the living room. The shelf in the corner by television she didn’t really want (but let her old roommates get so they could play video games while she read) held her hardcover nonfiction. The shelf next to it featured antique hymnals and schoolbooks nearly a hundred years old, from her grandfather’s childhood.

Against the wall, the bookshelf with the plants on it had her childhood favorites. Fantasy, young adult fiction, children’s books, Shakespeare—she couldn't tell you exactly where and when she got each and every one of those books, because getting a book was a privilege and she considered herself a collector. The other shelf was full of textbooks and reference material more recently acquired.

There were books on her shelves that she hadn’t even opened yet—ones she's waiting to review, others she just wanted to own. It was easy to buy more books than one person was ever capable of reading, and Crystal had every book imaginable and more. 

Gigi took one look around the room before mumbling, “Wow, you're a nerd.” 

Crystal elbowed her sharply in her side. “Hey, I’m the one giving you a place to stay.” 

Gigi just giggled, having calmed down on the way home. “I'm only kidding. Your home seems lovely.” 

“I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch,” Crystal said, gesturing towards it, “though it is a pull-out.” She started to remove all the cushions, discarding them on the floor.

“Here, let me help,” Gigi offered. They pulled the bed frame up until it was brought toward them as the frame started to unfold. They dragged the frame gently down to the floor and unfolded the last third of the mattress.

“Voilà,” Crystal beamed, gesturing towards the bed. 

“Thank you again,” Gigi said. “I feel bad asking, but can I borrow something to sleep in?”

Oh shoot, Crystal hadn't even thought to offer. Looking at Gigi, she was still wearing the dress and heels from when she met her this morning. “Yeah of course, let me grab you something.” She scurried off towards her room, digging through her draws for a shirt. She found one of her old band t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants and walked back out to Gigi. She tossed her the clothes and pointed towards the bathroom.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, walking out of the room. Crystal wasn't exactly sure what to do, didn't know whether she should leave Gigi alone quite yet. She walked over to her shelf above the television and grabbed a book she had wanted to read for a while now. She took a seat on the bed, resting her head on the headboard, and started reading.

She managed to get a few pages into the book, not even realizing that Gigi had walked back into the room and was sitting next to her. Gigi stared at Crystal, observing her features. She had curly dark auburn hair cut into a mullet with little pieces of hair that fell into her face; it was a strange look for a girl, but somehow she pulled it off. Her face was gorgeous: She wore a lot of makeup, with bold eyeliner and overdrawn red lips. She sat still in her work uniform, not even seeming to care about anything besides her book.

“Like the view?” Crystal asked laughing at herself after. Gigi was taken aback. Had she known that Gigi was staring the whole time?

Instead of responding she just layed down on the bed trying to make herself comfortable. 

“Here, let me get you a blanket,” Crystal offered. She placed her book to the side and headed back to her bedroom. Gigi was too tired to respond, instead resting her head on her arm as a pillow.

Crystal returned with a huge rainbow blanket and draped it across Gigi. The girl clutched to it immediately, wrapping herself in the soft fabric. “Thank you,” Gigi breathed.

Crystal just smiled and headed to her room for the night.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee and headache pills can cure any heartbreak, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not even sure what to put in these notes anymore ahh but thank you for the love on this story its so fun to write! this chapter is mostly just a filler i promise we will get back to the actual book store part of this book store au soon !! in the meantime check out my tumblr @trixemattel :) thank you so much jazz for editing as always ily

Gigi woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. 

Memories of the following night came flooding in: seeing her boyfriend with that other woman, running out, driving, the book store, Crystal. Fuck, Crystal. She was in Crystal’s apartment, on her couch. Her head began to ache more. She pushed herself up resting on her arms as she glanced around the room. No sight of Crystal. 

Gigi fumbled around the couch trying to find her phone. She hadn't looked at it since before she got to her boyfriend's house, turning it off immediately after running off. There were thousands of missed messages from her friends. 

“Where are you?!?!!” she read from Jan.

From Jackie: “We're worried about you!!” 

Heidi followed suit, sending a brief “^^” when Gigi didn’t respond.

They were all worried. It was unlike Gigi to not be on her phone, messaging them every detail of her life. Her head started to ache more just looking at the bright phone screen. She typed a bullshit response saying she would explain more later. Right now all she needed was some Tylenol and a coffee.

Gigi forced herself off the couch and towards the kitchen. Crystal's kitchen was a mess—well, at least in Gigi's standards. The countertop was covered in books, stationary supplies, and an assortment of papers filled with doodles and mindless writing. The fridge was dotted in magnets from places she had traveled and magnetic letters spelled out to say her name in the bright font. The cabinets had notes from what she assumed to be her friends spilled across them. 

Luckily for Gigi, there was a coffee machine too. Gigi sludged over to the counter and peered at a note posted on the coffee machine. 

Gigi,  
I’m sorry to have run out, I’ll be back shortly. Please make yourself at home.   
Crystal <3

Crystal seemed to have a lot of trust leaving Gigi alone in her apartment. But, there was coffee here for her so what was the worst she could do? 

She had just started brewing herself a pot when the door swung open, letting air into the apartment. 

“Good morning!” Crystal beamed. She bounced into the kitchen holding a small bag. She placed it on the kitchen counter and revealed two blueberry scones. 

“I was nervous you would be hungry and I didn’t have much food here,” Crystal spoke as she took a seat. 

“Thank you,” Gigi responded. “Do you happen to have any headache pills by chance?”

“Yes!” She got up and rushed around the corner, disappearing farther into the apartment. She reappeared with pills in hand, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it up in the sink. 

“Here,” she said, extending the items to Gigi. 

Gigi took the glass and swallowed the pills gratefully. She didn't really know what to even say to Crystal now—considering she’d only met her yesterday, cried in her bookstore, blabbed about her entire life, then slept in her house. Theoretically, that would be a good place to start. Instead, she asked something simpler: “So, do you work today?” 

“I don't, actually. I work most days, but I’m able to make my own schedule, and decided that I needed a day off.” 

Gigi hoped that she didn't take off just because of her. She would hate to be the reason Crystal wasn't getting hours. “I feel like it would be fun to work at a bookstore,” Gigi confessed.

“It’s fun most of the time. I’ve worked at a bookstore most of my life and I’ve met some amazing people, but it has its disadvantages too.” 

“Like what?” Gigi questioned.

“Well, I come home, exhausted and drained from a day of hearing customers tell me why independent bookstores are going extinct, how they’re just going to go home and order that book I couldn’t find for them off Amazon, and that no one reads books anymore anyway,” Crystal complained. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Gigi uttered. “That must get annoying to hear all the time.”

“It is, but I love my job. I just get to read all the time and express my love for literature to anyone willing to listen. I also drink a lot of coffee.” Crystal smiled. “I can’t help it! The whole place smells like warm chocolate coffee goodness and I get 50% off in the cafe! I rub the spines of books like I’m in a movie and not on the clock and I read the backs of books when I should be shelving.” 

Gigi listened to her every word, admiring the way she was so passionate about her job. She spoke with so much confidence and joy. Gigi only wished this was the way she came across to others. 

“Okay, now that's why it sounds like fun. I need to read more,” she admitted.

“You should! I can always recommend you books,” Crystal grinned. 

“Thank you,” Gigi replied. 

She took a seat at the counter next to Crystal as she began to drink her coffee and eat her scone. The pair started exchanging words, neither of them bringing up the events of the previous night. They just spoke as if they had been close friends for ages. Gigi talked about her friends and filled Crystal in on her own job.

Gigi worked as a fashion illustrator, she told Crystal. She worked with designers to create conceptual sketches and illustrations of their fashion products, including clothing, shoes and accessories. In addition, she produced advertising copy and images for promotional material for print. She always wanted to work in fashion and was fortunate enough to get a job that she loved, and that paid well, too. 

“It's insane,” Gigi explained about her job. “I work with some of the most amazing designers in New York, yet some of their designs are hideous!” She laughed at herself. “I swear I could do better than half of them.” 

“I bet you could.” Crystal beamed. “Do you have designs? I would love to see them!”

“I do! Next time I’ll definitely have to show you.” Gigi blushed. 

Next time, Crystal thought. There was going to be a next time; she was going to get to see Gigi again. 

Crystal gladly listened to Gigi go on about her life. It was nice to see her so happy compared to yesterday. The pair managed to lose all track of time, their conversation lasting into the early afternoon. They sipped their coffee, and eventually raided Crystal’s pantry for more snacks. 

“As much as I’m enjoying this, I really need to get my stuff from his house,” Gigi conceded. She was not in the mood to see him. She wished to never have to see him again, if she were being honest. She just hoped she could get in and get out easily. 

“We could teepee his house,” Crystal suggested with a devilish smile. Gigi couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t such a bad idea.

“I couldn't,” she managed to get out between laughs. “Lovely suggestion, though.”

“Of course,” Crystal beamed. “I’ll let you go, I got to finish my book anyway.” 

“We should hang out again sometime.” Gigi admitted. “I’ve been happier today than I have been in a while.” 

Crystal could only imagine how mentally drained Gigi must have been from her relationship. 

“Yes, we definitely should!” Crystal affirmed. Neither of them moved from their spot in the kitchen, just sat in comfortable silence. 

After a few minutes, Gigi finally stated, “Okay, I'm going.” She stood up and headed towards the front door. With a hand on the knob, she turned around to face Crystal and said, “Thank you for everything again... I’m not quite sure what I would have done without this.”

“Anytime! Don’t hesitate to reach if anything is wrong when you get there,” Crystal said. “Here, give me your phone. I'll give you my number.” She extended her arm. 

Gigi placed her phone in Crystal's hand. “The password is 1111,” she admitted. 

“Wow, how secure,” Crystal laughed. She went to the contacts app and put in her name in Gigi’s phone with about seven hearts after. 

“Here,” she said, throwing the phone back. Gigi let out a little yelp as she tried to catch it mid-air. 

“Thank you,” she breathed. With a small smile, she added, "You'll definitely be hearing from me."


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After everything that happened Crystal tries to throw herself back into work but is greeted by a surprise visitor. Who could it be this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! sorry for the late update my life has been very hectic with graduating and im still working full time :0 we have yet another filler chapter, im sorry! but chapter 5 is finally when things get intense, i promise! as always thank you jazz for editing & you can find me on tumblr @trixemattel :)

It's not like Crystal thought she was going to hear from Gigi immediately, but after ten days with no calls or texts, she began to stop getting her hopes up. It was understandable that Gigi would need time to process a breakup like this, but damn did Crystal just want to see her again. She didn’t even know if the girl was gay or not, but a part of her wished she would be. 

Instead of thinking too hard about it, Crystal just threw herself back into her work. She had offered to work full day shifts meaning she would have to be there from 9am until close. But Nicky would do most of the work anyway, and Rock was usually working at the coffee shop so she could get free drinks. 

She was about four hours into her shift when the caffeine started to wear off. She yawned as she staged books around a display. Customers walked by, paying her no mind. She finished up the display quickly and looked around and saw Nicky was still working the register. Maybe she could sneak a nap on one of the couches if she was lucky.

She decided to test her luck and took a seat on a couch in the corner where no customer was looking. She leaned against the shelf and shut her eyes. Oh yeah, a nap was exactly what she needed. She focused on the sounds around her; pages being flipped, soft music being played over the speakers, light footsteps against the foot, and coffee brewing. It was peaceful, no one spoke. Too busy indulging in their own books to notice others.

She didn’t realize how long she had been resting until she heard someone whisper, “Sleeping on the job?” The voice startled Crystal out of her sleep-induced trance. Standing in front of her was Gigi with a soft smile. “Sorry, didn't mean to wake you,” she added.  
Crystal stood up quickly, fumbling over herself. “No, I shouldn't have been sleeping during my shift,” she laughed at herself and added, “Don’t tell my boss.” She snuck a look at Nicky who had not moved from the register. She didn't seem at all interested in what Crystal was doing. 

“I promise I won't,” Gigi giggled. 

“What are you doing here?” Crystal asked, sitting back down and encouraging Gigi to sit with her.

Gigi plopped down next to her and spoke, “Oh, do I need a reason to come visit the pretty girl at the bookstore?” Crystal’s blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute she thought her face was on fire. She suddenly felt awkward, demure, and coy; even going as far as attempting to hide her rosy features behind her slim fingers. She knew that Gigi’s eyes were looking at her – eagerly waiting for a reaction, a response, anything. 

“No you don’t need a reason,” Crystal beamed, finally looking Gigi in the eyes, “I’m just happy to see you.” The corners of Gigi's mouth rose as she cracked a smile. 

The pair sat and talked for a little bit talking about the mundane things. Gigi talked about how she had been with her friends and how they cheered her up with chocolate and sleepovers. Like Crystal, Gigi had also thrown herself into work to distract herself. She talked about her new client and how excited she was to help design articles of clothing for her. Crystal knew she was tip toeing around what happened after she left her house. 

“How did it go when you picked up your stuff?” Crystal asked innocently. Gigi breath hitched at words and turned away for a moment, noticeably tense. She instantly regretted saying anything. “Sorry, we don't have to talk about it.” 

“No, it's fine,” Gigi breathed. “It didn't go great.” She took a long breath before saying anything else. “I drove to his apartment at 2pm because by then he’s usually at work, but when I got there he was sitting in the living room, waiting for me. He was furious I hadn't contacted him. He didn't even realize I had walked in on him with that other woman.” Crystal could see the tears begin to form in her eyes. “He was so mad. Worse than I have ever seen him. He tried to grab me.” She peered down at her arms, but the fabric of her sweater hid what bruises could be covering her pale skin.

Gigi didn't dare look up at Crystal as she continued whispering, “He pulled on my arms, twisting them, asking me what I knew. He said I deserved every bad thing to happen to me. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to say. I just took it.” Crystal tried to extend her hand, but Gigi pulled away from the touch. 

“I ran out in fear, I didn't dare look behind me. I could hear him scream ‘Don't ever come back here’ at me as I went. Not like I would ever go back there. I don’t even care about my stuff anymore, I just want him to leave me the fuck alone.” 

“God Gigi, I'm so sorry!” Crystal apologized. There was probably nothing Crystal could say to make the girl feel better. She once again rested her hand on top of Gigi’s, hoping to show she cared. It wasn't much, but Gigi slowly flipped her hand over, their fingers lingering waiting for the other to lace their fingers together. 

“Do you want to hang out again?” Gigi interrupted their silence, pulling her hand away quickly.

“When?” Crystal asked, her hand left empty. She drew her hand back into herself and looked back up at Gigi. 

“Tonight?” Gigi proposed. “I don't know when you get off, but I’d love to get to see you again.” 

Crystal could feel her heartbeat in her chest. “I get off at nine, but I may be able to leave earlier.” She snuck another glance at Nicky just praying she would let her off early. 

“I’ll see you tonight then,” Gigi pronounced. She stood up slowly and waved a goodbye as she headed out the door. Crystal let out a sigh. She should probably be concerned that Gigi just confessed her abusive past, but Finally she was going to be able to hang out with Gigi for real. 

“Who’s she?” Crystal heard Nicky yell from behind her. She turned around to see Nicky sitting with a smirk on her face. 

“No one,” Crystal mumbled, walking over to the counter trying to look like she was actually doing work. 

“No, you're telling me. You should be happy I just let you flirt for the last half an hour instead of restocking,” Nicky spoke. It was true, Crystal was able to talk to Gigi for much longer than she expected. 

“Fine.” So, Crystal told Nicky everything from their first interaction in the store, Gigi barging in after close, how she slept at Crystal's house, and their lovely morning conversations. 

“Oh my god, you really like her,” Nicky cooed.

Crystal was taken aback by the comment. She put the back of her hand to her cheek to feel how warm it was. Between all the blushes and smiles it did seem like Crystal liked her. But how could she, they had only known each other for a little. 

“No I don't,” Crystal blurted out her voice cracking. 

“Bullshit,” Nicky laughed. 

“Whatever,” Crystal huffed, “Is it okay if I leave early tonight?”

“Only if you promise to actually do some work between now and then,” Nicky rolled her eyes.

“Deal!”


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what’s more likely crystal being late to a date or gigi having no clue what’s going ever?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! sorry it’s been a while since updating. in all honesty i had idea where i wanted to take this story and now i kinda do :0 i love this fluffy chapter it makes me super happy!!! anyway check out my tumblr @trixemattel to request more writing & maybe check out my instagram too @l1i1l1y1 :) i love all the positive feedback on this fic it makes me so happy! i hope the 2000+ words makes up for it being a month late.. anyways thank you jazz for editing as always <3

As promised, Crystal spent the rest of the afternoon working as hard as she should, which shocked even her. She sorted the entire nonfiction section by author, worked the register for three hours, and even helped Rock clean up the cafe when it closed for the afternoon. 

“Am I good to go?” Crystal begged Nicky, staring at her phone for the time. 7:02. Gigi had texted her to meet her at 8:00pm at a location Crystal was unfamiliar with, and between going home, changing, doing her makeup, and getting there, she was nervous she was going to be late. 

“You’re free of your work duties,” Nicky groaned sarcastically. Crystal chuckled at the words. 

“Thank you.” Crystal grabbed her stuff from behind the counter and began to walk away.

“Oh, Crystal?” 

Crystal whipped her head around to face Nicky, who had a grin plastered on her face. “Thanks for actually doing work this afternoon,” Nicky giggled. 

“Shut up!” Crystal screeched. 

“Have fun on your date!” Nicky called out as Crystal ran out.

-

Gigi had been freaking out since she went to see Crystal at the bookstore. A part of her wished she didn’t, but Crystal had this way of cheering Gigi up that she needed right now. She didn’t pry or pester her, just let Gigi cry, which was much appreciated. 

Honestly, she didn’t know what she wanted out of Crystal. She was still heartbroken, but the idea of being alone didn’t please her. Gigi was someone who wanted to be in a relationship. She craved it—which resulted in her getting herself into really shitty situations way too often.

Plus, was Crystal actually interested in a relationship? Or was Gigi projecting her ideas of a relationship onto her? God, Gigi was overthinking. They were just hanging out. It wasn’t a date, right? Ugh!

-

Crystal was late, of course. For a second she did think she would be able to get everything done in time, but halfway through her eye makeup, she got a text from Gigi questioning where she was. 8:07 her phone read. Shit. She smeared glitter on her face in an attempt to bring the look together quickly, grabbed her buttoned jacket, and headed out the door.

She was met with Gigi sitting on a bench, twiddling her phone between her hands. She caught Crystal’s eye as the girl came running over, waving her hands profusely.

“Hi!” she beamed. “Sorry I’m so late!” She plopped down next to Gigi who offered a smile immediately. 

“Hey! Don’t worry about it, I haven’t been here for long.” 

Crystal could see from the way that Gigi was shivering from the cold that it was probably a lie. She felt a tinge of guilt for leaving Gigi here to freeze in the New York winter. 

“Okay, I have no clue where we are. What’s the plan?” Crystal asked, trying to hopefully get them somewhere warm. She had taken the subway to get close to the location where Gigi had said to meet her. They were somewhere downtown surrounded by small shops with display windows cluttered with colorful toys, bags, books, and anything else you could possibly want. 

“Well, I know how much you love reading and I always see, uh–” she paused as she tried to remember the author's name, “Guillaume Musso, I believe it was, books displayed... so when I looked for book signings in town I immediately bought tickets for us. I hope that’s okay with you.” 

“Holy shit! He’s one of my favorite authors right now.” Crystal was ecstatic. She would sit in the back room of the store and read his novels for hours. He was one of the most popular French authors in America, so his books sold easily. Nicky would be so jealous when she told her all about it. “How did you even find out that he was in town?” Crystal questioned. 

“If I’m gonna be honest, I just googled date ideas for book lovers and kind of went for it.” Gigi giggled. 

Date. Crystal repeated the word over and over in her head, forgetting to speak.

“That’s so cute!” Crystal screeched. “Can we please go in?” 

“Yeah of course, beats the cold anyway,” Gigi shivered again. The girl was only in a plaid dress, sheer tights, and a pair of black boots. No jacket, of course. 

“Here, take this.” Crystal quickly took off her jacket and offered it to Gigi.

“I can't take that–” Gigi started.

“Take it! Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” Crystal insisted. Gigi took the jacket hastily and placed it on her body, seeming to instantly warm up at the touch. 

“Thank you.” Gigi smiled. Crystal took Gigi’s hand and led them to the store where the signing was being held. They pushed their way through crowds of book lovers like herself all glancing around the store. 

“Feels weird to be the one shopping in a bookstore and not working it,” she spoke as she picked up a copy of the author's newest book. 

“Let’s be honest, I’ve never seen you do any work when I’m there.” Gigi glanced at Crystal with a smirk.

“Wow, you’re worse than my boss! But it’s because you distract me!” Crystal defended herself. “Usually I do work, I swear!” 

“Mhm, I’ll believe it when I see it.” Gigi giggled. “Which one do you recommend then, if you swear you do work?” Gigi asked lightly, dragging her fingers over the covers of the signed books. 

“This one!” Crystal pointed. The title read Et Après in a bold white font. Gigi gave Crystal a questioning look. 

“In English, its direct translation is And After. It’s about this man who has experienced traumatic events in his life and distanced himself from his family who is visited by a mysterious stranger who claims he can see when people die. It’s really good! They also turned it into a movie, but it’s quite bad in my opinion. The book is always better.”

“Of course you would think that. If I get it, would you translate it for me?” 

“I’ll translate every last word for you, darling!” she said, which earned a grin from Gigi. She was lying; she could only do the bare minimum of translating, and would have to figure it out from Nicky, but it was a good excuse to see Gigi again. The pair continued walking around the store until the crowd began to gather in the main room where the Q&A was being held. 

They sat down at a set of folding chairs in the front of the room, close so Crystal could see the author. Gigi could see the excitement in Crystal's eyes, as she scanned the room looking for the author. 

He didn’t look very impressive to Gigi, but Crystal seemed to be star struck. He was a minuscule, broad man with short black hair, and matching thin eyebrows and mustache. He had a thick French accent and talked with his hands, explaining the words of his literature with a passion. Crystal hung on to the details of every word and clutched Gigi's hand when she got excited about something. 

When it came time for the audience to ask questions, Crystal was the first to raise her hand. “You’ve said your novels often come from an image that haunts you. What image did The Girl on Paper come from?” she asked. Gigi had zero clue what was going on, but Crystal was so exhilarated that she didn’t care, content to sit in awe of Crystal’s intellect.

The Q&A wrapped up shortly after. Crystal managed to ask at least ten questions, the rest of the audience seeming to be frustrated at continually talking, but she didn’t care. She was so happy. She had just talked with one of her favorite authors and she was on a date with Gigi. It was a win in her book. 

The pair had Musso sign a couple copies of books that Crystal planned on selling at her store and keeping for her own personal collection. “Most of my French books I keep in my room because I really need to concentrate when I read them,” she explained to Gigi. Gigi just smiled and nodded. 

It was around 10:30pm by the time the pair had left the bookstore. People still lined the streets: some pouring out of bars, others chatting on the sidewalks, and couples kissing wherever they could find an abandoned alleyway or empty street corner. 

“Where can I take you that will make you happy?” Crystal asked Gigi. “I feel bad, that probably wasn’t very exciting for you.”

“No, don't worry! It was cute to see you smile, plus you bought me a book, so I really can’t complain,” she laughed. 

“Okay, good. Thank you so much for taking me there!” 

“Of course! Can we please go get food, though?” Gigi asked. “I’m starving.” 

Crystal's stomach grumbled at the question. “Yes!” 

That’s how the two found themselves in a corner booth of a local diner, listening to music from a jukebox that blasted throughout the establishment. Their table was covered in food: a mix of milkshakes, burgers, fries, and onion rings as they chatted aimlessly about anything. 

“Oh, I love this song!” Gigi gasped as Take on Me by a-ha started playing, the familiar piano intro making Gigi dance in the booth. 

“We should dance!” Crystal suggested.

“In the middle of the restaurant?”

“Yeah, why not! There’s no one here.” She quickly got out of the seat and extended her hand out for Gigi to take. Gigi hesitated, but placed her hand in Crystal’s anyway and let the girl drag her towards the jukebox. She spun Gigi in circles as she sang the lyrics right into her ears. Gigi blushed as she danced, flailing her arms all around. 

“I'll be gone in a day or two!” Crystal belted. The waitresses from behind the counter glared at her, but didn’t bother telling them to stop. 

Gigi was so happy. Laughing with Crystal seemed like the only important thing in the whole world, and the feeling overtook her as she leaned forward, pressing her lips to Crystal's. Crystal giggled into Gigi’s lips, kissing back eagerly.

They pulled apart as quickly as the kiss began, and Crystal grinned. “That was cute. You’re cute.” 

Gigi's cheeks became flushed immediately. “Okay, we should probably sit back down, our food is going to be cold.” Gigi laughed, bringing her hand up gently to her lips where Crystal’s just were.

They finished their food, laughing at everything and dancing in their seats to whatever song blared through the restaurant. They stayed longer than they should have, the waiter having to kick them out at one in the morning for cleaning. The pair just laughed as they walked down the street, Crystal stopping every so often to swing around a lamp post and draw a giggle out of Gigi.

“God, I don’t ever want to stop this,” Gigi mused.

“Stop what?” Crystal asked. 

“Feeling this way—this happy. I was never like this with my ex,” she admitted.

Crystal didn’t know what to say, so she said the first thing that came to her mind: “Men are shit!” 

Gigi cackled. “You’re right! Girls are much better anyway!”

“Oh are they?” Crystal spoke, raising an eyebrow, practically begging for Gigi to kiss her again.

“Yes, they are. Not you though,” she joked.

“Ouch,” Crystal gasped, sarcastically clutching her chest. “I’m hurt, truly!” 

“Only kidding.” She smiled. “Sort of!”

“You won’t let me catch a break, will you?”

“Nope!”

“Come here,” Crystal told Gigi, coaching her to sit down on a bench with her under a flickering street lamp. Gigi came over quickly, sitting down next to Crystal and swinging her legs to lay on top of hers. She cupped Crystal’s face and pressed her mouth against hers again catching her in a soft kiss. Crystal had a better idea though; she ran her tongue roughly along Gigi’s lips and the girl immediately let her in, kissing her back deeply. Gigi brought her hands to Crystal's scalp, pulling lightly on the curly red strands. Waves of arousal rolled over Crystal and she whimpered softly, making Gigi smirk into the kiss. 

Crystal pulled away from Gigi’s lips and kissed her way roughly down her neck, nipping on her pulse point. Gigi let out a gasp at the sharpness of it. “We should do this again sometime,” Crystal mumbled in between kisses.

“Oh yeah, definitely.”


End file.
